Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr. battled the mighty Avatar at the box office this weekend, earning Sherlock Holmes the No. 2 spot and giving the sci-fi epic a surprising challenge.

Downey and Law are perfectly matched as Holmes and Watson, and they bring some heavy-hitting action to the legend guided by director Guy Ritchie. Parade.com’s Jeanne Wolf found out that Law remembers a much more politically correct version.

Sherlock Holmes gave him his start.“My first job or second job was on TV in the Sherlock Holmes TV series. I played a stable boy. It was much more staid and cerebral, nothing like what Robert and I do. We play Holmes and Watson getting their boots dirty and their knuckles sore and it was fun. I was very confident in Guy’s vision of how he wanted to attack this beloved legacy with a contemporary twist. If we felt a little pressure that was good thing. It just amps you up a bit.”

Bonding with Downey.“Robert and I really did have a rapport. It was very much like Holmes and Watson, who were a team. We all have friends in our lives who dare us to do and go places that we wouldn’t necessarily want to go in our lives. But when you do, after you experience it, sometimes you feel more fulfilled. And the two of them together are exactly that. That’s what they did for each other. And there was some in that in my relationship with Robert.”

As for relationships with the opposite sex…“I think women like bad boys. That’s been my experience. I just think it’s kind of a given. You know, at a certain age you figure out what works for you and being a good boy never worked for me. And if you’re a bad boy, they like it. But, eventually, you have to grow up and realize relationships are hard work. It’s like cultivating anything. They need attention.”

So cut him a little slack about his past.“People seem more interested in setting someone up as this bad person, and that disheartens me a little. We all mess up, but we’re equally capable of making it better, of healing wounds. It’s just a matter of keeping your head on straight. There’s a downside to every life. There’s a downside to every career. And the downside to my career is the attention I get for what I do. But you learn to deal with it. It’s like a fly buzzing around your head. You just have to learn to ignore the fly.”

What’s really important.“Being a daddy is what counts. I’ve been busy rehearsing that in real life for more than 10 years. I used to sleep until noon, but it’s not so bad to have to get up at 7 and give them breakfast. My daughter made me realize that if there’s anything that’s going to make a man of you, it’s having your will broken by a little girl.”

Recovering from Hamlet.“There’s nothing that prepares you for reading it for the first time, when you realize you’re playing the part. But once you get on stage you feel better. Kenneth Branagh directed me and he’s played Hamlet four times. He told me, ‘The first thing you realize, when you take on the role of Hamlet, is that you are Hamlet. There is no character Hamlet. Every actor who plays Hamlet is themselves, so Hamlet becomes you.’ That sounds kind of terribly romantic and exciting, but also bloody terrifying. But I have to say Kenneth was right. It was daunting, and I’m ready for a rest, but it was great to be back on stage, especially on Broadway.”

Some advice he took to heart.“My dad used to tell me that if I was going to be late for something, then I have to enjoy being late. I think it means if you’re running late, don’t get uptight and worry about it, sit back and enjoy the day until you get to the place you’re going. So I always thought that was a great piece of advice.”